Essex

About Essex

On the water side of Baltimore County, Essex sits on a neck of land between Back River and Middle River, where the city's eastern edge dissolves into marsh, marinas and Chesapeake Bay views. Crabbing piers, boat ramps and waterfront crab houses set the tone more than any skyline.

The community was laid out in the early 1900s and boomed during World War II, when thousands of workers came to build bombers and flying boats at the nearby Glenn L. Martin aircraft plant. That working-class waterfront story is told at the local heritage museum and at the aviation museum by Martin State Airport, while the town's own street festival, Essex Day, fills the main drag each fall.

For visitors, the highlight is Rocky Point Beach and Park, a large county park with a swimming beach, fishing pier, golf course and an 18th-century manor house. Offshore, Hart-Miller Island State Park can only be reached by boat, and Marshy Point Nature Center protects wetlands a short drive east. Downtown Baltimore is about 20 minutes away.